Game apparatus



June 22,1943. J, BUCKLEYHAL 2,322,564

GAME APPARATUS Filed Aug. 20, 1942 92/20 3 14 ll JZ fave/i573 1 Patented June 22, 1943 ucts "Company, Delaware Chicago, lllgvra corporationwofl Applieation;August 1942;1Seriali No. 455,450 6 Claimswe (Cl. -3 5) This inventionrelates, in general;- to g-ame' ap'--* paratus particularly adapted;-though-' not neces sarily' limited in" use, -for-eductional =purposes;-- and one of the objectsofth'e" same is to 'p-rovidean improved apparatus of 't'hiswcharacter; vvhicli will notonly be=-interesting and amusing in operatiom but will also be instructive; inthat -it' will "serve as' a stimulus" to *incre lary A furtherobject is *toprovide=an-improved ase the vocabu-a;

apparatus of this" characten-whi'ch will be 'sim'p1e and -durable" in construction; cheap-to" manufac-- ture, and efiicient and effective in" operation.-*

To "the attainment of these -endsand=the= ac-- complishrnent of other new an'd useful' objects" as will appear, the invention' -consist's in I thefea w tures -of novelty in substantially the 1con'struc tion, 4 combination" and" arrangement" of theqseveral parts; hereinafter more fully"describedand claimed" and sho'wm in the accompanying drawing -illustrating--this' invention? and "in.

which- Fig; 1 is a top plan view ofanapparatus of this principles -of this invention.

. character, constructed -in accordance with the J Fig? 2 is a vertical sectional-'vieW- of"Fig;--1, taken through alldf the indicators or pointers; the latter being arranged" in the same =vertical plane:

Referring more" particularly 1 to the drawing,

the numeral lfl designates; generally, "a board or bodywhich may be constructed of" any -=suitabl e material, and" may b -of any -desi'red s'ize "and configuration.

One face of i the board is shaped to "form a plurality of Steps- I I ,---l2'a'ndl3; arranged'in dif fer'ent horizontal planes above abase p0rtion-l-4,--"= and these'steps form 'areas "or surfaces which are concentrically arrangedabbut the base por- Arranged'on" the surfaces 12- and 'l3 are; re

spectively, a series of characters; preferably letters;"l5,- l.6,*and upon the surface H is another" seriesof characters, "I 1," preferably different from" the "characters? 'I 5;"I 6, preferably in the "form-of numerals.

The" characters "on; all' "of the surfa'ces are ar= rangedvpreferably in groupsfithevarious groups being" separated bymean's*of suitable" radia'l' di-" VidingUlinesJB to provide. separate "areas visible from th'el face of the board. These dividing lines I8 extend across each 'of the surfaces, so as to provide clearly defined areas, in which one of each of the characters of the series l5, I6 and I1 is located, so as to form groups. Obviously, the

indicating charactersmaybe arranged in any=* suitable manner, and th series-oneach of the surfaces may be arranged in any-suitable *posi tion=with relation to each other.

Mounted so as to project above the base 'pori tiorMd, is an'upright' 19, which is preferably ar ranged at thediametric-" center thereof; and is encompassed by the surfaces- I l, I 2 and i3. This=i upright- |9 may be=permanently=0r removably secured to-the board; andis provided with a series-ef reduced portions'ill, El -and 22;"to form bearings, preferably of different diameters; -to form -shoulders-23 -24i- Indicator members-25, 26; 21 prefera-blyin the 1 form of arms or pointers, are supported by the upright I9, each of the indicators loosely surrounding one of the bearing portions'-2-l!' "2-1 -42} Spacer members 28-4-9 are "-disposed between ad'jacent indicaton membe'rs I and: respectively leStdlDOnf the shoulder-s *Z=3 24"'so a's not*to inter- I ferewith thePfreerotation" of thee-indicators about the upright"! 9. The'se indicators 'are 'prefl erably of 'dilfei ent'lengths, and one -is provided for-each of the-surfaces l li' l2 'and l-3, the length q.

of the indicators being' such that each will pro Y ject over the particular surface'; containingrthe cha'racters witlr whichthe respective: indicators:

The indicatorsare mounted- 5o that they-may I be fre'ely rota-ted or spun- -aboutitheupright l 9, i

by zstr-iking the indicators to one side 'of the pivot '1 thereof with the finger:or an implementsi.

The indicators; the upright and the" spacer members: are held; in assembled relation. in any l' desired or suitable manner;preferably by= means= of a cap member- 3fl"iengaging' the upper end of the uprightand extending (over i the uppermost: indicator, but: out 1 of Contact with theindicator. Wi-th this construction, it will 'bemanifes'tw;

, that, inasmuch"as the indicators are *adapted to be freely" spun --aboutthe upright; and" as =the indicatingends-'thereof project over the respec-ctiveareas or surfaces :H l2 and t3, and furthers. as the indic'ators 'are 'of different lengths; --s0meaof theindicators will comewo restin advance of the others; and Will, l-wherr: at -rest, indicate a partioular characteror "letters Bybeinginde-b r i pendently supported; the rotation of one of the indicators will inno way 'aifet the rotationtof I the other? In*using-"t-he-apparatus; and as-a stimulus to increase the vocubularyy the indicators-are*all-*= positioned in the same vertical plane, as shown in Fig. 2. They are then spun about the upright I9 by simultaneously striking them on one side of the pivot. After the spinning movement, and when the indicators come to rest, each of the indicating ends thereof will be disposed within one of the areas between the dividing lines l8.

As an example of the operation of this apparatus, and as shown in Fig. 1, the longer indi- V With this improved construction, it win he N manifest that a very interesting game may be played, and, as above stated, with very good educational results.

vide spaces of different cross-sectional dimensions, the faces of said steps having thereon indicia, an upright encompassed by said steps, and a plurality of rotatable indicators mounted upon said upright for spinning movement, said upright being stepped to provide supporting surfaces for the respective indicators, the said surfaces being individual to'and substantially in the saine plane a as the respective faces of said board, whereby the indicating end of said indicators will be maintained in close proximity to the respective said faces, saidindicators being independent of each other in their movements, each of said indicators being individual to one of said faces, the pivots of said indicators being in the same vertical plane.

4. A game apparatus embodying a shaft, means for supporting said shaft against rotation, said shaft being stepped to provide spaced circum- The characters may be arrangedin" anyjsuit ablemannen and any-desired characters suit- I able for the purpose may be employed. Ob-

viously, either one of the indicators which co operate with the surfaces or areas I2 and i3 may be designated as the one to indicate the letter which constitutes the beginning of the word.

While the preferred form of the invention has been herein shown and described, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in thedetails of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, withy in the scope of the claims, without departing fromthe spirit of this invention.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A game apparatus embodying aboard one face of which is provided with a plurality of steps 7 encompassing acentral portion thereof to pro vide spaces of differentcross-sectional dimensions, the faces of said steps having thereon indicia, an upright encompassed by said steps, and a plurality of rotatable'indicators mounted upon said upright for spinning movement, said upright being stepped to form supports individual to the said indicators, whereby each indicatorwillbe free from the weight of the other, indicators, said indicators being independent of each other in their movements, each of said indicators being individual to one ofsaid faces.

2. A game apparatus embodying a board one face of which is provided with a plurality of steps encompassing a central portion thereof to provide spaces of different cross-sectionaldimensions, the faces of said steps having thereon indicia, an upright encompassed by said steps, a plurality of rotatable indicators of different lengths mounted upon said upright for spinning movement, said upright being stepped to form supports individual to the said indicators, whereby each indicator will be free from the weight of the other indicators, and spacer members between adjacent indicators and also resting upon the respective supporting surfaces of said upright, said indicators being independent of each other in their movements, each of said indicators being individual to one of said faces.

3. A game apparatus embodying a board one face of which is provided with a plurality of steps encompassing a central portion thereof to pro feren'tiat supports, game elements individual to size of the pivots of said elements and of the con tacting area of the elements with their respective supports being different, whereby the resulting differences in friction may enhance the uncertainty of the stopping point of the elements with respect to each other, and means with which said elements co-operate to indicate indicia associated with said elements. I

5. A game apparatus embodying a shaft, means for supporting said shaft against rotation, said shaft'being stepped to provide spacedcircumferential supports, game elements individual to said supports and mounted upon said shaft to freely-rotate thereabout and with respect to each other, said elements being individual to said supports and each of said elements beingv free from the weight of the other rotatable elements, spacer members between adjacent game elements and also resting upon the respective said circumfer-- ential supports, the size of the pivots of said eletion may enhance the uncertainty of the stopping point of the elements with respect to each other,

and means with which said elements co-operate to indicate indicia associated with said elements. 1

6. A game apparatus embodying a shaft, means for supporting said shaft against rotation, said shaft being stepped to provide spaced circumferential supports, game elements individual to said supports and mounted upon said shaft to freely rotate thereabout and with respect to each other, said elements being individual to said supports and each of said elements being free from the weight of the other rotatable elements, the size of the pivots of said elements and of the contacting area of the elements with their supports being different, whereby the resulting differences in friction may enhance the uncertainty of the stopping point of the elements with respect to each other, and means with which said elements co-operate to indicate indicia associated with said elements, the said game elements varying in size with respect to each other.

' JAMES M. BUCKLEY. THOMAS E. CLAREY. 

